Translation of documents

ABSTRACT

A translation method reduces the time required for display of the translation of a web page. Based on a translation request, a translation service server requests a translation engine translate an HTML document. The translation service server also extracts image tags from the HTML, and transmits the dummy tags to the browser based on the image tags. The browser requests image data based on the image tags, and obtains image data. The translation service server receives the translation from the translation engine, and transmits it to the browser.

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/374,838,filed Feb. 26, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,512,712, which is hereinincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a computer that can reduce the timerequired for display of translation results.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of information is conventionally obtainable across nationalboundaries. Especially recently, a user can easily obtain information,such as an HTML document, by employing a client on a network, theInternet, for example, to access a server. The user can then display andbrowse the HTML document by employing a WWW browser application(hereinafter referred to simply as a browser) executed by the client.However, frequently the text in an HTML document, which may also containimages, is in English or a local, information source language the usercan not read. The user must then employ a machine to translate the textinto his or her native language and must read the translation to acquirethe information in the document.

This translation process can be implemented by executing a translationprogram installed in the computer of the user, or by using a translationservice provided by a predetermined server connected to the Internet.For the translation process performed by the server, for example, theclient transmits the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a web page to betranslated across the Internet to a predetermined server. The serverthen obtains the HTML document for the URL and translates the text. Theobtained translation results are displayed, as is the web page in thepre-translation state indicated for the original URL, i.e., thetranslated web page text and included images are displayed. As isdescribed above, for the translation process for which the server isused, a special program, such as translation software, is not needed forthe client employed by the user, and the translation of the web page canbe easily obtained.

However, since a predetermined length of time is required for thetranslation process, the user must wait a specific time period before heor she can obtain the translation results. For the translation of a webpage, for example, a user must wait a comparatively long period of timebefore an HTML document, which is the result of the translation, isdisplayed in web page form on the client's browser. When image data,such as photos, charts and pictures, is included in the web page,waiting time is even greater.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To resolve this technical problem, the object of the present inventionis to provide a computer that can display translation results within arelatively shorter period of time, a server therefor, and a translationmethod and program.

To achieve these objectives, and to display on a browser the translationresults for the HTML document, the present inventors focused on the factthat the translated HTML document is not displayed on the browserimmediately after it is received from the server. The reason for this isthat if image tags are included in the translated HTML document, theimage data based on the image tags is obtained before the translatedHTML document is displayed. Therefore, for the acquisition of thetranslation results, the present invention provides a method wherebytranslation results can be displayed faster by providing means forobtaining necessary data, such as image data, in advance.

According to this invention, for a computer connectable to a network, anacquisition unit obtains document data across the network; an extractionunit extracts from the document data instruction data instructing theacquisition of predetermined data stored separately from the documentdata; a translation acquisition unit translates the document data toobtain translation data; and before the translation acquisition unitcompletes the acquisition of the translation data, an instruction unitinstructs the start of the acquisition of the predetermined datadesignated by the instruction data. Since this computer can, forexample, instruct the acquisition of the predetermined data before theacquisition of translation data has been completed, the predetermineddata can be obtained during a waiting period preceding the acquisitionof all the translation data.

The predetermined data is, for example, image data. This computerfurther comprises: a display unit for displaying a translation based onthe translation data and an image based on image data, wherein thedisplay unit can inhibit the image display until the translation data isobtained.

Further, the invention can be implemented as a server connected to anetwork. For this server, an electronic data acquisition unit obtainselectronic data, including text data and image acquisition data; a dataextraction unit extracts from the electronic data the image acquisitiondata as data (prior acquisition data) for acquiring images first; atranslated text data acquisition unit translates the text data in theelectronic data and obtains translated text data; and a display datagenerator generates display data based on the prior acquisition data andthe translated electronic data, including the translated text data andthe image acquisition data.

For this server, a transmitter transmits to a client, across a network,the generated display data in the prior acquisition data and thetranslated electronic data order. In this case, it is preferable thatthe extracted, prior acquisition data be transmitted to the clientbefore the translated text data acquisition unit obtains the translatedtext data. Further, the display data generator can also add, to thedisplay data, storage instruction data for storing, in the client, imagedata obtained according to the prior acquisition data.

The invention can also be implemented as a translation method. Thistranslation method comprises the steps of:

obtaining original document display data to display an original documenton a computer;

employing the original document display data to examine the presence ofsaved data that is saved as data differing from the original documentdisplay data;

when the saved data is present, generating instruction data forinstructing the acquisition of the saved data, and transmitting theinstruction data to a client across network;

obtaining translation data for the original document; and

transmitting the obtained translation data to the client across thenetwork.

According to this translation method, before the presence of the saveddata is examined, the acquisition for the translation data of theoriginal document can be instructed.

Further, it is preferable that the instruction and the translation databe transmitted to the client as a coupled document data series.

According to this translation method, the client is permitted toinitiate the acquisition of the saved data in accordance with theinstruction data, before the translation data is acquired. In this case,based on the instruction data, the saved data can be stored in a storagedevice in the client.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and forfurther advantages thereof, reference is now made to the followingDetailed Description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of atranslation system according to the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the processing performed by abrowser, a translation service server and a translation engine;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example web page a user desires totranslate;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example HTML document for displaying theweb page in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing example results for an HTML document;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a web page based on the results HTMLdocument in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an HTML document including example dummytags for removing blank lines from a web page that is based on theresults HTML document.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the functional configuration of atranslation system according to this embodiment. The translation systemin FIG. 1 comprises: a WWW browser system (hereinafter referred to as abrowser) 10 for displaying an HTML document (electronic data andoriginal document display data) for a user; a web server 20 thataccumulates HTML documents; a translation service server (computer) 30for providing a translation service upon receiving a request from thebrowser 10; and a translation engine 40 for translating an HTML documentupon receiving a request from the translation service 30, all of whichare connected across a network, such as the Internet. The translationservice server 30 and the translation engine 40 may be on the samecomputer.

For a user's (client) computer, the browser 10 is implemented when a CPUinteracts with the main memory to perform processes based on a programstored on an HDD. In accordance with the HTML protocol and based on theURL designated by the user, the browser 10 downloads the data for anHTML document from a predetermined server and analyzes the data. Thebrowser 10 includes an HTML document display controller 11 fordisplaying an analyzed HTML document on a display device, and a cacheunit 15 for storing, on a disk or in a memory, the data for the HTMLdocument obtained by the computer.

The HTML document display controller 11 of the browser 10 includes atranslation request unit 12 for accepting the URL for a web page that auser desires to translate, and for issuing a translation request; adisplay mode switching unit 13 for setting a display mode for a laterobtained translation; and a results display unit 14 for displaying atranslated HTML document. These functions of the HTML document displaycontroller 11 are implemented by downloading from the translationservice server an HTML document for displaying a translation serviceHTML web page, which will be described later, and by displaying theobtained HTML document.

The web server 20 stores an HTML document 21 on a disk, such as an HDD,or in a memory. The web server 20 can accept a request received acrossthe Internet for browsing the HTML document 21, and can transmit theHTML document 21 in accordance with this request.

The translation service server 30 includes a transmitter/receiver 31 forexchanging data with the browser 10 of the client, and a translationservice unit 32 for providing a translation service. The functions ofthe transmitter/receiver 31 and the translation service unit 32 areimplemented when a CPU executes a program stored on a disk, such as anHDD, or in the memory of the translation service server 30.

The translation service unit 32 of the translation service server 30includes: an HTML document acquisition unit 33 for obtaining from theweb server 20 the HTML document 21 at the URL designated in thetranslation request; an HTML document analyzer (an extraction unit and aprior acquisition data extraction unit) 34 for extracting taginformation, such as image tags (instruction data and image acquisitiondata), included in the HTML document 21; an image tag processor(instruction unit) 35 for generating a dummy tag (prior acquisition dataand instruction data), based on the image tags, and for adding the dummytag to a results HTML results document (a display HTML document) fordisplaying the results; an HTML document translation processor (atranslation acquisition unit and a translated text data acquisitionunit) 36 for transmitting a request to the translation engine 40 for thetranslation of the text portions of the HTML document 21, and forobtaining the obtained translation; and a translation results processor(display data generator) 37 for processing the translation received fromthe translation engine 40 and for completing a results HTML document.

The translation service server 30 stores, in a storage device, an HTMLdocument 38 that is the equivalent of the HTML document 21 of the webserver 20. For example, when the URL designated in the translationrequest issued by the browser 10 designates the HTML document 38, whichis the equivalent of the document 21, the translation service unit 32obtains the HTML document 38 and translates it.

The translation engine 40 includes: a translator 41 for translating fromthe language of a designated original document (hereinafter referred toas the original language) into a desired language the text portions ofan HTML document received from the translation service server 30; and adictionary recording unit 42, which stores data for words and grammarrules referred during a translation. The translator 41 performs thetranslation process when a CPU performs a program stored on a disk, suchas an HDD, or in the memory of the translation engine 40.

In a translation system having this configuration, the translationservice server 30, upon receiving a translation request from the browser10, obtains the HTML, web page document at the URL designated in therequest, and the translation engine 40 translates the HTML document.

At this time, however, while the translation service server 30 transmitsthe HTML document text portions to the translation engine 40, itextracts an image tag or tags from the HTML document and transmits themto the browser 10. Subsequently, to display the translated web page, thetranslation service server 30 obtains the translation of the textportions from the translation engine 40 and transmits it to the browser10 as an HTML document.

Upon receiving the HTML document, the browser 10, which initiallyreceived the image tag or tags and obtained and stored image data for aweb page to be browsed, performs a parallel reception process for whichit can employ the previously stored image data. As a result, image datafor the HTML document need not be obtained from an outside networkdevice, and the translated web page can be displayed within a shortperiod of time.

A specific description of the processing performed by the translationsystem will now be presented. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining theprocessing performed by the browser 10, the translation service server30 and the translation engine 40.

First, the browser 10 transmits to the translation service server 30 atranslation request and the URL of a web page designated for translationby the translation request unit 12 (step S101). Specifically, thetranslation request unit 12 of the browser 10 designates the URL of aweb page entered by a user at an input device, such as a keyboardconnected to a computer, and transmits the URL to thetransmitter/receiver 31 of the translation service server 30.

FIG. 3 shows an example web page for translation. The web page in FIG. 3can be displayed by the browser 10 based on the HTML document 21 (or theHTML document 38), which can be downloaded from the web server 20 (orthe translation service server 30). This web page includes, as textportions, original language, English sentences 60, 61 and 62, and images70 and 71. In this embodiment, an explanation will be given for anexample wherein the original language, English sentences 60, 61 and 62are translated into a target language, Japanese.

At step S101, data designating English as the original language andJapanese as the target language can be transmitted with the URL to thetranslation service server 30. At this time, the display mode designatedby the display mode switching unit 13 can also be transmitted. Thedisplay mode in this case is the mode for specifying the display statefor the results display unit 14, so that either only the translation isdisplayed or both the original and the translation are displayed as theresult of the translation process, and the user can designate anarbitrary display mode. It should be noted, however, that the displaymode sitching unit 13 may not be provided for the HTML document displaycontroller 11, and the selection of the display mode by the user may notbe performed.

Upon receiving the results obtained by the browser 10, thetransmitter/receiver 31 of the translation service server 30 receivesthe translation request from the browser 10 (step S301). Specifically,the transmitter/receiver 31 of the translation service server 30receives, via the Internet, a translation request designating the URL ofa web page to be translated, an original language, a target language anda display mode. Then, the HTML document acquisition unit 33 of thetranslation service server 30 obtains, from either the internal storagedevice or the web server 20, the HTML document (the HTML document 38 orthe HTML document 21) for displaying a web page at the designated URL.The HTML document analyzer 34 extracts, from the web page represented bythe HTML document, portions (hereinafter referred to as text portions)for the display of a sentence, and the HTML document translationprocessor 36 transmits the text portions to the translation engine 40(step S302).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example HTML document 21 or 38 fordisplaying the web page in FIG. 3. At step S302, lines 63, 64 and 65,beginning at <H1> and <P> in FIG. 4, are transmitted to the translationengine 40 as HTMLs corresponding to the sentences 60, 61 and 62, thetext portions in FIG. 3. It should be noted that at step S302, datadesignating English as the original language and Japanese as the targetlanguage are transmitted to the translation engine 40 along with thelines 63, 64 and 65.

The translation engine 40 receives from the translation service server30 the lines 63, 64 and 65, which are the text portions of the HTMLdocument 21 or 38, and begins the translation of the text portions basedon the designated languages (step S401). The translation process isperformed when the CPU of the translator 41 interacts with the mainmemory, and executes the translation program based on the data stored inthe dictionary recording unit 42 for the words and grammar rules. Thetranslation program used in this process is not specifically limited,and a program based, for example, on morphological analysis, syntaxanalysis, syntax generation or translation generation may be employed.Since for the subject of the present invention the translation processat step S401 is not essential, a detailed explanation will not be given.Also, the translation algorithm and the output form of the translationare not specifically limited.

In this embodiment, the translation service server 30 transmits the textportions of the HTML document 21 or 38 to the translation engine 40;however, the translation service server 30 may instead transmit the HTMLdocument 21 or 38 to the translation engine 40 unchanged, and thetranslation engine 40 may both extract and translate the text portions.

After the text portions have been transmitted, the HTML documentanalyzer 34 of the translation service server 30 further analyzes theHTML document 21 or 38 obtained at step S302 and extracts the includedimage tags (step S303). Specifically, lines 72 and 83, for each of whichimage tags, <IMG src= . . . >, are indicated, are extracted from theHTML document in FIG. 4. In the image tags, a file name following the“src=” is to be displayed as an image, and in this embodiment, imagesbased on files “image_(—)1.gif” and “image_(—)2.gif”, which arerespectively stored at the same locations as the HTML documents 21 and38, are to be displayed on a web page.

For the translation of the HTML documents, the image tags are stored inthe web server 20 with the HTML document 21 or 38, and when a full URLname is not used to designate a storage location, i.e., when designationis not specified like IMG src=http:// . . . , the image tags are changedin order to specify that the storage location for an image designated bythe image tags is within the web server 20. This change will bedescribed in detail later.

Next, the translation service server 30 prepares a results HTMLdocument. That is, the image tag processor 35 of the translation serviceserver 30 generates dummy tags based on extracted image tags, andgenerates an incomplete results HTML document in which the dummy tagsare inserted immediately following the header (step S304). This resultsHTML document is used to display the translated web page on the browser10. The incomplete results HTML document is generated because thetranslation engine 40 has not yet completed the translation process andobtained the translated text data, and a completed results HTML documentcan not be generated.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example results HTML document generatedat step S304. At step S304, portion (i) is generated because thetranslation results have not been obtained from the translation engine40. In FIG. 5, lines 75 and 76, located immediately following a header74, are dummy tags that serve substantially the same purpose as do thelines 72 and 73. The dummy tags are generated and inserted into theresults HTML document so that the browser 10 can obtain in advance theimage data designated by the image tags, while the translation engine 40is translating the text portions.

Images 70 and 71 in FIG. 3, which have predetermined sizes, are drawn onthe web page by lines 72 and 73 in FIG. 4, which are image tags. Thedummy tags inserted into the results HTML document are those enteredmerely to start the process for obtaining image data in advance, andimages for them need not be displayed. For if the images for the dummytags were displayed, the layout of the translated web page would bedestroyed. Thus, as is indicated by the lines 75 and 76 for the dummytags in FIG. 5, the sizes of the images “image_(—)1.gif” and“image_(—)2.gif”, designated by the tags, are set as “width=0 height=0”,i.e., widths and heights of 0 (size 0) are designated, so that when thebrowser 10 receives the lines 75 and 76, which are the dummy tags, thedisplay of images based on the image files designated by the lines 75and 76 is inhibited.

The transmitter/receiver 31 of the translation service server 30 beginsto transmit to the browser 10 the incomplete results HTML documentgenerated by the translation results processor 37 (step S305). At stepS305, since the translation engine 40 has not yet completely translatedthe text portions, the portion in FIG. 5 from the header 74 to the dummytag on the line 76, i.e., only the HTML document for the portion (i), isgenerated. Thus, at step S305 the HTML document for the portion (i) istransmitted.

The browser 10 receives the results HTML document from the translationservice server 30, and starts the rendering process for displaying a webpage based on the HTML document for the results display unit 14 (stepS102). In this embodiment, the portion (i) in FIG. 5, extending from theheader 74 to the line 76 for the dummy tag, is received, and theprocessing is begun based on that portion. Then, since the results HTMLdocument includes image tags, the browser 10 employs the image tags totransmit a request to the translation service server 30 or the webserver 20 to obtain the image data (step S103). Further, since at thistime the browser 10 cannot receive the remainder of the results HTMLdocument following the portion (i), the browser 10 halts the renderingprocess for displaying a web page based on the results HTML document,and waits to receive the remainder of the results HTML document.

The transmitter/receiver 31 of the translation service server 30receives the image data request from the browser 10 (step S306). In thisembodiment, the processing performed for the HTML document 38 isexplained; however, for the translation of the HTML document 21, thebrowser 10 obtains image data directly from the web server 20. Based onthe image data request, the translation service server 30 obtains imagedata from the internal storage device, and transmits the image data tothe browser 10 (step S307). In the example in FIG. 4, since the imagetags on the lines 72 and 73 in the HTML document 21 or the HTML document38 do not specifically designate an image data storage location, theimage data are stored with the HTML document 21 or 38 in the web server20 or the translation service server 30.

The browser 10 receives image data from either the translation serviceserver 30 or the web server 20 (step S104). The image data received bythe browser 10 are based on the lines 75 and 76 in FIG. 5, the dummytags, and as is described above, the sizes of the images designated bythe dummy tags are set to 0. Therefore, when the browser 10 has obtainedthe image data, it does not display them on the results display unit 14,but instead, stores them in the cache unit 15, which is the temporarydata storage unit.

When the translation engine 40 has completed the translation of the textportions, the translation engine 40 transmits the obtained translationto the translation service server 30 (step S402). And thereafter, thetranslation engine 40 terminates the processing.

The HTML document translation processor 36 of the translation serviceserver 30 receives the resultant translation from the translation engine40 (step S308), and the translation results processor 37 adds thereceived translation to the HTML document 21 or 38 to complete the HTMLdocument, which was incompletely generated at step S304. Then, thetransmitter/receiver 31 transmits to the browser 10 the remainingportion of the results HTML document, which was partially transmitted atstep S305 (step S309).

At step S309, the lines 63, 64 and 65, which are the text portions ofthe HTML document 21 or 38 in FIG. 4, are replaced with theirtranslations, so that the portion (ii) of the results HTML document inFIG. 5 is coupled with the portion (i) and a sequential document isgenerated. In portion (ii), as well as in the HTML document 21 or 38,the lines 72 and 73, which are image tags, are included between theJapanese translations corresponding to the lines 63, 64 and 65, andthus, the translated HTML document is obtained. That is, as is shown inthe results HTML document in FIG. 5, the dummy tags are inserted in theportion (i), the first portion of the translated HTML document, thatpreviously was transmitted at step S305. And at step S309, thetranslation service server 30 transmits the portion (ii), the remainderof the HTML document. Thereafter, the translation service server 30terminates the processing.

The browser 10 receives the results HTML document from the translationservice server 30, and based on the results HTML document, performs therendering process (step S105) and thereafter terminates the processing.Since at step S102 the browser 10 has already received the portion (i)of the results HTML document in FIG. 5, at step S105 it receives onlythe portion (ii). Then, based on the HTML of the portion (ii), thebrowser 10 performs the rendering process to display the translated webpage on the results display unit 14.

In the rendering process at step S105, since the portion (ii) includesthe lines 72 and 73, which are image tags, the browser 10 obtains imagedata based on the lines, and during this process, the browser 10 firstdetermines whether the image data are present in the cache unit 15. Whenthe image data are not present in the cache unit 15, generally, thebrowser 10 issues a request directed to the location whereat the imagedata are stored, and obtains the image data. When, however, the imagedata are present in the cache unit 15, the browser 10 obtains the imagedata from the cache unit 15.

In this embodiment, the image data designated by the lines 72 and 73have already been obtained at step S104, based on the lines 75 and 76,which are dummy tags, and are stored in the cache unit 15. Therefore,during the rendering process at step S105, since the image data storedin the cache unit 15 can be employed as image data designated by thelines 72 and 73, new image data need not be obtained from an externalserver when the portion (ii) is analyzed. That is, the display of theresults HTML document is not delayed until image data is obtained, andthe web page in FIG. 6, based on the results HTML document in FIG. 5,can be displayed within a short period of time on the results displayunit 14. It should be noted that the Japanese sentences corresponding tothe English sentences on the lines 60, 61 and 62 in FIG. 3 are presentedon the lines 65, 66 and 67 in FIG. 6, and the images 70 and 71, based onthe lines 72 and 73 in FIG. 4, are inserted between the lines 65, 66 and67.

A more realistic scenario for the processing of this invention will bespecifically explained while taking the image data storage location intoaccount. For the convenience of the explanation, the followingdefinitions are employed.

The host name of the translation service server:

www.service.com

the host name of the web server on the Internet:

www.external.com

the HTML document in FIG. 4:

sample.htm

(1) When all of sample.htm, image_1.gif and image_2.gif are present inwww.service.com:

-   (A) The browser transmits to www.service.com the translation request    for http://www/service.com/sample.htm.-   (B) The translation service server obtains the request for    sample.htm at www.service.com (by itself), and transmits dummy tags    in FIG. 7 to the browser.-   (C) The browser transmits the requests for image_1.gif and    image_2.gif to www.service.com.-   (D) Since image_1.gif and image_2.gif are present in the machine at    www.service.com, www.service.com transmits these data to the    browser.

(2) When all of sample.htm, image_1.gif and image_2.gif are present inwww.external.com:

-   (A) The browser transmits to www.service.com the translation request    for http://www.external.com/sample.htm.-   (B) The translation service server obtains sample.htm by issuing the    request for sample.htm to www.external.com, and transmits the dummy    tags in FIG. 7 to the browser.-   (C) The browser transmits the requests for image_1.gif and    image_2.gif to www.service.com.-   (D) Since image_1.gif and image_2.gif are not present in the machine    at www.service.com, www.service.com transmits an error message to    the browser.

In order to not return an error message at (D) in (2), the relativedescription concerning the location of image data must be modified. Forexample, when the dummy tags are returned at (B), the original HTMLdocument is rewritten and modified as follows.

<HTML> <BODY> <IMG src=“http://www.external.com/image_1.gif” width . . .<IMG src=“http://www.external.com/image_2.gif” width . . . <H1> <IMGsrc=“http://www.external.com/image_1.gif”> . . . . <IMGsrc=“http://www.external.com/image_1.gif”> </BODY> </HTML>

Since in this manner “src's” for all the image tags are rewritten byusing the URLS, including the host names, whereat the src are present,the browser can issue an image acquisition request to the web serverwhereat the image data are present.

As is described above, according to the translation system of thisembodiment, the translation service server 30 starts the translation ofthe text portions, extracts the image tags from the HTML document for aweb page to be translated, and transmits the image tags to the browser10. The browser 10 then obtains the image tags in advance, acquires theimage data based on these image tags, and employs the image data todisplay the translated web page on the results display unit 14. As aresult, new image data need not be obtained when the translated web pageis displayed. In this embodiment, the image data is obtained in advanceduring a period in which the translation engine 40 is translating thetext, i.e., in which conventionally the system is only waiting until thetranslated web page is obtained. Therefore, when the translated web pageis displayed, a process for which an extended period of time is requiredto obtain image data need not be performed, and as a result, the timerequired to display the translated web page on the results display unit14 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, depending on the type of browser 10 employed by auser, the locations in the results HTML document in FIG. 5 whereat thedummy tags are present may become the blank lines in a pertinent portion80 of the translated web page in FIG. 6. And when a program written in alanguage such as JavaScript is employed for the dummy tags, acountermeasure can be employed to prevent the translated web page fromdiffering from the layout of the original web page due to the generationof these blank lines.

FIG. 7 shows an HTML document including example dummy tags used toeliminate blank lines from a web page based on the results HTMLdocument. The dummy tags in FIG. 7 are shown on lines 78 and 79, andwhen the size of image data is specified as “width=0 height=0”,‘“onLoad=“document.body.removeChild(this)”’ is set. Then, when the imagedata has been obtained, the process for deleting the lines for the dummytags is performed, so that the blank lines can be eliminated. In FIG. 7,the program for removing the blank lines is not limited to this, and canbe adjusted as needed.

In the translation process for this embodiment, the English text istranslated into Japanese; however, the employment of the presentinvention is not thereby limited, and it can also be applied for thetranslation of English into German, or the translation of a languageother than these into another language.

In this embodiment, the browser completes the reception of image data bythe time the browser 10 has obtained, through the translation serviceserver 30, the translation from the translation engine 40. However, thepresent invention is not limited to this. So long as the browser 10begins the process for obtaining image data during the waiting periodbefore the translation is obtained, the period required for theacquisition of image data to be completed is reduced when compared withthe time required for the conventional method, according to which imagedata is obtained after the translation is acquired. Therefore, the timerequired for the display of the results HTML document can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the translation service server 30 transmits arequest to the translation engine 40 for the translation process andthen extracts the image tags and transmits them to the browser 10.However, the translation service server 30 may first extract image tagsand transmit them to the browser 10, and thereafter issue a translationrequest to the translation engine 40.

Further, in this embodiment the computer, which is the client employedby a user, performs no translation, and the translation process isperformed by the translation service server 30 and the translationengine 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Forexample, a processor serving as the translation service unit of thetranslation service server 30 need only be provided for the computerserving as the client machine. And also, although the computer performsthe image data acquisition process in parallel to the translation, thisfunction may be provided for the browser 10 program.

The program installed in the translation service server 30, the browser10 or the computer serving as the client machine, for performing aprocess in the embodiment, can also be implemented as a storage medium.That is, a computer-readable program that permits the computer toperform the above described processes need only be stored on a storagemedium, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, a memory or a hard disk.

In addition, in this embodiment, before the acquisition of thetranslation is completed, data based on the image tags are extracted andtransmitted to the browser 10. However, the tags extracted in advanceand transmitted to the browser 10 are not always image tags. Forexample, these tags need only be data that are obtained and stored inadvance in the cache unit 15 by the browser 10, and can be employed torepresent the translated web page, and, for example, tags for displayingmoving pictures. Furthermore, tags for generating sounds can beemployed.

Moreover, without departing from the subject of the invention, theconfiguration for this embodiment may be selectively modified, or can bechanged into another configuration.

As is described above, according to the present invention, thetranslation of a web page can be displayed within a short period oftime.

1. A computer connected to a network comprising: an acquisition unitadapted to obtain document data across the network; an extraction unitadapted to extract from the document data instruction data, comprisingdummy tags, instructing the acquisition of predetermined data storedseparately from the document data; a translation acquisition unitadapted to translate text of the document data to obtain translationdata; an instruction unit adapted to, before the translation acquisitionunit completes the acquisition of the translation data, instruct thestart of the acquisition of the predetermined data designated by theinstruction data; and a display unit adapted to display a translationbased on the translation data and an image based on image data, whereinthe display unit can inhibit the image display until the translationdata is obtained, wherein the predetermined data is image data.
 2. Aserver for translating text data of electronic data, the servercomprising: an electronic data acquisition unit adapted to obtainelectronic data, including text data, display mode, and imageacquisition data; a data extraction unit adapted to extract from theelectronic data the image acquisition data, comprising dummy tags, asprior acquisition data for acquiring images first; a translated textdata acquisition unit adapted to translate the text data in theelectronic data and obtaining translated text data; a display datagenerator adapted to generate display data based on the prioracquisition data and the translated electronic data, including thetranslated text data, display mode, and the image acquisition data; anda transmitter adapted to transmit to a client, across a network, thegenerated display data in the prior acquisition data and the translatedelectronic data order, wherein the extracted, prior acquisition data istransmitted to the client before the translated text data acquisitionunit obtains the translated text data.
 3. The server of claim 2, whereinthe display data generator adds, to the display data, storageinstruction data for storing, in the client, image data obtainedaccording to the prior acquisition data.
 4. A translation methodcomprising the steps of: obtaining original document data to display anoriginal document on a computer; examining the original document datafor the presence of saved data; when the saved data is present,generating instruction data, comprising dummy tags, for instructing theacquisition of the saved data, and transmitting the instruction data toa client across a network; obtaining translation data for the originaldocument; transmitting the obtained translation data to the clientacross the network; and permitting the client to initiate theacquisition of the saved data in accordance with the instruction data,before the translation data is acquired.
 5. The translation method ofclaim 4, further comprising: before examining for the presence of thesaved data, instructing the acquisition for the translation data of theoriginal document.
 6. The translation method of claim 4, wherein theinstruction and the translation data is transmitted to the client as acoupled document data series.
 7. The translation method of claim 4,further comprising: based on the instruction data, storing the saveddata in a storage device in the client.
 8. A method, performed withinand by a translation server, comprising: receiving, from a client, atranslation request to translate an original document; transmit apartial portion of the original document or the complete originaldocument to a translation engine; extract image data from the originaldocument; returning, after extracting the image data and beforereceiving translation data from the translation engine, an incompleteportion of a results document to the client; and returning, afterreceiving the translation data from the translation engine, a remainingportion of the results document to the client, wherein the incompleteportion of the results document includes dummy tags based upon imagetags extracted from the original document.
 9. The method of claim 8,further comprising: receiving, from the client, an image request basedupon the incomplete portion of the results document returned to theclient; and transmitting, to the client and based upon the imagerequest, image data.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the image datawithin the original document is not transmitted to the client before thetranslation server terminates processing of the translation request. 11.The method of claim 8, wherein the remaining portion of the resultsdocument includes the translation data.